Zero Single-Use Plastic manifesto
Luxembourg’s leading Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) network IMS works with Luxembourg-based national and international companies and their CEOs to move towards more sustainable practices, including the elimination of single-use plastics. In 2018, IMS started a two-year project following the EU’s agreementof legislation on single-use plastics.
In September 2018 during its Luxembourg CEO Sustainability Club dinner, IMS called on the participating leaders to sign a Zero Single-Use Plastic manifesto. The objective was clear: get companies to eliminate single-use plastic from their organisations by the end of 2020 and provide tailor-made support to enable that transition.
The #IMSPlasticPledge includes the following commitments:
- Implement all necessary actions to reach the goal of withdrawing products covered by the “Zero Single-Use Plastic” manifesto by the end of 2020.
- Support sustainable alternatives and integrate the principles of the circular economy within the organization.
- Appoint a Zero Single-Use Plastic ambassador who acts as a reference person for the topic.
- Communicate its actions to different stakeholders to raise awareness.
- Support IMS Luxembourg in its campaign and allow IMS to engage in discussions with suppliers to identify sustainable alternatives.
With specific funding from the Environment Ministry, IMS has been providing the manifesto signatories with a dedicated contact person to liaise with the internal “ambassador” and conduct regular audits of their consumption reduction strategy for single-use plastics.
IMS shares a range of resources with participating companies to support the transition: communications tools such as an e-banner, e-signature, brochure, presentation, certificate; a mobile educational exhibition on single-use plastics that companies can use to communicate internally on the topic; and a “transition kit” that provides a wide choice of alternatives to single-use plastics for the items listed in the manifesto, each evaluated according to the implement time, difficulty, cost, durability and recyclability of the alternative.
From the very start of the project, IMS has also been organising specific workshops with ambassadors to develop ideas and strategies around ending single-use plastic and transitioning to sustainable alternatives. Workshop topics ranged from office supplies, catering, events, feedback on meetings with suppliers, and sustainable purchasing policy to the question of new emerging alternatives such as bio-based and biodegradable plastics.
To date, 74 companies and institutions have taken up the challenge and signed the manifesto, including BEI, Cargolux, Solar Screen and Sodexo Luxembourg. Moving forward, IMS’s ambition is to build on existing materials to increase corporate awareness outside their network.
